6 Jul 2023 • As per a recent study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, consumption of 2 green kiwifruits can be safely recommended as an effective treatment for constipation in those with functional GI disorders that will also provide improvements in symptoms of GI comfort. The number of complete spontaneous bowel movements weekly - the primary outcome - increased by ≈1.5 with kiwifruit and ≈1 with psyllium.

Study Highlights WHAT IS KNOWN

• Green kiwifruit is known to promote normalization of bowel habit in constipated individuals.
• It is commonly accepted that there is a strong relationship between stool frequency and gastrointestinal (GI) comfort. For kiwifruit, little is known about the impact on GI comfort.

WHAT IS NEW HERE

• In random order, each participant received a 4-week course of two peeled green kiwifruits daily and a 4-week course of psyllium.
• This study has built on those prior by definitively determining the association between green kiwifruit intake and improved bowel habit and GI comfort.
• In addition to improved measures of constipation status, there was a significant improvement in stool consistency, reduction in constipation, indigestion/reflux, and abdominal pain resulting in an improved overall level of GI comfort.
• With recent estimates of the global prevalence of functional constipation and constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome at 11.7% and 1.3%, respectively, kiwifruit can be considered an effective and well-tolerated dietary treatment for the relief of constipation and associated improvement in GI comfort.

Source: American Journal of Gastroenterology | Read full story